North Carolina Officially Bans Texting While Driving

After months of consideration, the North Carolina General Assembly has passed new legislation that bans texting while driving for vehicle operators of any age. The new law was approved by the NC House and Senate, who have passed the bill along to Governor Beverly Perdue. Perdue is expected to sign the bill, which will take effect across the state on December 1, 2009.

Exceptions to the bill include emergency responders as well as those who are using GPS systems or voice-activated mobile devices.

A number of other states have also recently passed similar laws, citing the fact that drivers cannot text while keeping both hands on the road or while keeping their eyes on the road. Even more states have banned the practice among city drivers and teens, hoping to curb the number of car accidents.

Violators of the new texting ban will face $100 fines and the cost of court, although some opponents of the bill mentioned that the law will be hard to enforce.